Gov.-elect Bill Lee announced the first of his Cabinet members Tuesday, tapping two existing commissioners to continue on in their roles in his administration and picking a new leader for the Department of Finance and Administration.

Lee's initial Cabinet picks — along with his key senior advisers — mark his first major announcement during his transition into the governor's office.

Stuart McWhorter, who currently chairs Lee's inauguration planning efforts, will serve as finance commissioner after working as finance chairman on the campaign, Lee's transition team announced.

McWhorter, who mulled a run for Nashville mayor in 2015, currently serves as chairman and president of Clayton Associates, an investment management firm focused on healthcare and technology industries.

Stuart McWhorter(Photo: Submitted)

His appointment is one of Lee's most important, and McWhorter will help the administration formulate its budget proposal, which will be one of the new governor's first major tasks.

Danielle Barnes, the Department of Human Services commissioner, and Marie Williams, who leads the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, will continue in their current positions. Each were previously appointed by outgoing Gov. Bill Haslam.

Other current department commissioners are also expected to be kept in Lee's Cabinet.

New senior staff members served on Lee campaign

Meanwhile, Lee is looking to those who surrounded him during his campaign and transition to fill key senior staff roles.

Blake Harris, current executive director of the transition team, will serve as Lee's chief of staff, while Butch Eley, who is the chairman of the transition team, will become the governor-elect's chief operating officer.

Lang Wiseman of Memphis will become deputy to the governor and chief counsel, and Tony Niknejad has been tapped for policy director, a position he held during the campaign.

Chris Walker will remain communications director and Laine Arnold will continue in her role as press secretary.

Harris, an attorney, worked as the general consultant on Lee's campaign, developing Lee's winning strategy and building the campaign team.

Eley, most recently chief growth officer of DBi Services, has stepped down from the company, Arnold said, which provides infrastructure maintenance and management services to government agencies, utility companies and private businesses.

He previously served as Nashville's first director of economic and community development in the 1980s under former Mayor Bill Boner, a Democrat.

Eley himself considered running for Nashville mayor in 2015.

Policy director previously worked for pro-voucher organization

Before working on policy during Lee's bid for governor, Niknejad served as Tennessee state director for the American Federation for Children, an organization supporting private school choice. He also worked with the GOP in Kentucky as the party retook the House of Representatives in 2016.

Niknejad's appointment signals a possible push by the Lee administration to advance a school voucher program.

Tennessee's Federation for Children group released a poll in 2015 that found 59 percent of registered voters supported legislation allowing school vouchers.

“This survey overwhelmingly shows that voters want to give parents the power and opportunity to choose to send their children to a school where they will receive a high-quality education," Niknejad said at the time.

Wiseman, who served as campaign counsel during Lee’s gubernatorial bid, founded Wiseman Bray PLLC in Memphis and specializes in business and commercial litigation. He currently serves on Haslam’s Council for Judicial Appointments.

Walker, who worked as communications adviser on the campaign, most recently held similar roles with the American Enterprise Institute and The Heritage Foundation. Walker previously worked for U.S. Sens. Bill Frist and Fred Thompson and worked in the Department of Treasury and Department of Defense in the George W. Bush administration.

Before becoming Lee's press secretary in the general election, Arnold held the same role for Randy Boyd ahead of the Republican gubernatorial primary.

Danielle Barnes(Photo: Submitted photo)

Barnes was appointed by Haslam after Human Services came under scrutiny

Barnes, former deputy commissioner and general counsel for the state Department of Human Resources, was appointed to her current position in January 2017.

The Department of Human Services includes programs that manage child support and food assistance, regulate child care centers and provide vocational training for individuals with disabilities.

Williams took over Mental Health department in 2016

Marie Williams(Photo: Submitted photo)

Williams, who has worked in the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for 18 years, was appointed commissioner in October 2016 after the retirement of Doug Varney.

Prior to being named commissioner, Williams served as deputy and assistant commissioner for the department.

The $380 million department includes treatment and recovery services for those with mental illness and substance abuse disorders.

Lee has no formal search team for Cabinet picks

There is no formal search committee for Lee's Cabinet positions. The governor-elect has said his transition staff would be hearing from leaders representing a variety of sectors and asking them to weigh in on suggestions for commissioner appointments and policy direction.

The team intends to have the entire Cabinet in place by Lee's Jan. 19 inauguration.